Baling and other press.



H. I. ROBERTS.

i BALING AND OTHER PRESS. APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 2,1907.

906,660. Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

1HE: NoRms PETERS ca., wAsmNoroN, DA c.

H; I. ROBERTS. BALING AND OTHER PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.2, 1907.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

VI'IIIJ'IIIJIII-' 1n: NoRkls PETERS co., wAsmNuraN. n. cv

H. I. ROBERTS.

BALING AND OTHER PRESS.

APPLIGATION FILED 00T. 2, 1907.

906,660. Patented Dec. 15.1908- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 34 VH: Nenms PETERS co,wAsHl/lcruu, n! c.

HUGH IORWERTH ROBERTS, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

BALING AND OTHER PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed October 2, 1907. Serial No. 395,589.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HUG-H IoRwEn'rn ROBERTS, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain and lreland, and resident of Liverpool, in the county ofLancaster, England, engineer, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Baling and other Presses, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in presses for pressing andbaling cotton, wool, hay, grass, and kindred materials though it mayalso be used for pressing seeds to remove oil therefrom or for othermaterials requiring to be pressed, the object being to provide detailimprovements upon the class of press described in my British Patent No.9874 of the year 1903, to render the press more useful and to render itautomatic in some of its parts.

The class of press referred to in the aforementioned patent consistsgenerally of an arrangement of toggle levers supported by the press bedand also connected with the movable pressing plate or follower, the levers being operated by a rope or chain connected to a winch so that thefollower is lifted up in the direction of the press head. The materialto be pressed is first of all placed in a box pivoted to one of thepress pillars so that it may be swung into position between the followerand the press head. A duplicate arrangement of boxes is employed so thatwhile one box is in osition in the press a second box is being fil edwith material, the latter being exchanged in position for the former inthe press. The material is pressed through the box into a receiving boxor chamber also pivoted to one or more of the press pillars and while inthis latter box the pressed material may be lashed in bale form afterthe doors are opened. The press boxes and also the upper' press chambersare provided with hinged sides and ends retained together duringpressing by suitable catches which are capable of release so that thepress boxes may be unhinged and turned away from the body of the pressprior to the follower descending while in the case of the press chamberthe sides may be unhinged or separated before the bale has been lashed.

My improvements in the class of press just described consists individing the press boxes into a plurality of boxes which at thecommencement of pressing each form one long box but each section ofwhich is automatically swung away from the press as the follower entersthe second and third box; means connected with each section which can beoperated by the movement of the follower to effect the action justdescribed; means for guiding the follower and an improved arrangement ofrocking levers and rods connecting them with the toggle levers to enablethe latter to be provided with longer bearing hinges or pivots at thepoint of connection with the follower, this improved arrangement alsoadmitting of the press pillars being brought closer together. The wholeof these combined arrangements enable a press to be constructed to dealwith either very small or large bales and particularly the former.

My invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which- Figure l is a front elevation, partly in section, ofa press embodying my improvements, Fig. 2 side elevation of same, Fig. 3partial plan, Fig. i partial vfront elevation of some of the parts ofthe press on an enlarged scale and Fig. 5 partial plan to an enlargedscale.

/Vith reference to these drawings I would say that the right hand endsof the toggle levers are broken away owing to exigencies of space butthese are exactly similar to the arrangement of levers shown at the lefthand side of the first three figures.

a are beams comprising the head of the press supported from cross beamsl) fixed to the press columns c similar cross beams b1 being attached tothe lower ends of the press columns and passing under beams d located ona basement floor of a building or in a pit. The base beams vmay becomposed of long and short beams longitudinally of the elevation shownin Fig. 1..

e is the press follower' to the lower end of which is attached by pinsc1 the upper ends of two similarly-constructed levers On the latterbetween the forks of said levers are mounted chain or rope wheels gsupported by shafts f1, the ends of the shafts carrying wheels i capableof moving on the beams d or on rails secured to them. The shafts f1 havealso coupled to them the outer ends of links or rods 71 such links beinglocated outside the range of the press columns instead of between suchcolumns as in the herein before mentionedpatent, the other and innerends of the links being coupled by pins 71,1 to the ends of rockinglevers j, one on either side of the press and also outside the presscolumns. The rocking levers j are mounted loosely on a shaft jlsupported in a bearing block r fixed to the beams d and are designed toact as counter balance weights. The block 7c is arranged to support thelower ends of pivoted toggle levers Z, the outer ends of which arecoupled to the levers f by pins Z2 fixed at or about the center betweenthe pins e1 and shafts f 1.

m is a chain, rope or the like which passes round the wheels or pulleysg, one end being attached to the bed lr while the other end is passedround a guide pulley f 2 carried by the beams d and thence taken upwardsand attached to the winding barrel of a winch or the like that may beoperated either by hand or ower.

ith the exception of the arrangement of the coupling rods 7L andcounter-balance levers and the attachment of the rope to bed c thegeneral arrangement of levers is virtually the same as in my formerpatent. The placing of the rocking levers and rods 7L outside the presscolumns c however, enables the points of connection of the levers f withthe pins or shafts e1 to be wider in a transverse direction therebyproviding a much wider bearing in each case for supporting the pressfollower and also allows the columns to come closer together thusreducing the strain on the head and bed and making the press morecompact.

n indicates generally the press boxes but instead of employing a singlebox on each of two of the press columns as in my former patent I preferto arrange a plurality of boxes arranged one above the other in anynumber found desirable, such boxes being virtually identical inconstruction and adapted to be held together so as to form one long boxpivoted on each pillar. Each box is composed of a fixed side and end andalso of a hinged side and end.

To the Jxed side is secured brackets nl secured to or forming part ofsleeves 0 mounted on the press columns, ball bearings being provided tominimize friction. The hinged sides and ends n2 and n3 are securedtogether by catch levers p pivoted at p1 the outer end of such leversengaging with pins p2 or projecting studs on the hinged sides. The rearends of the catch levers are coupled together by a rod g so that themovement of one lever transmits motion to the other and so releases thecatches simultaneously. The separate boxes are held together byprojections r at their rear which overlap the top and bottom ends,respectively, of the superposed boxes limiting movement in onedirection. The boxes are held in line with such projections by pivotedtumbler catches r1 secured to the two bottom boxes as shown in Fig. l,such catches having inclined ends so that as each superposed box ispushed towards the lower one the catches are automatically depressed butafterwards rise into position and lock the parts together. The pressboxes so locked are brought into position in the center of the press,after being filled with the material to be pressed.

Each bottom box is provided with a sliding bottom s as indicated moreclearly in Fig. 4. This is preferably tapered and its ends are supportedin slideways in the box. The bottom is placed in position prior to thebox being filled with the material to be pressed and remains in thisposition until the box is brought over the press follower as alreadystated. Prior to the follower being raised the bottom is slid out ofposition. For this purpose one or a pair of hand levers s2 is providedpivoted to the body of the box near the bottom. To this hand lever iscentrally pivoted a second lever s1, the lower end of which is coupledto the rear end of the box bottom while its upper end is provided with apin adapted to slide in the slot of a slotted bracket s3 so that as thehand lever is pulled forward the lever secured to the box bottom canpass out with the latter at the foot while its upper end descends in theslot of the brackets. Two pairs of the levers are preferably employedarranged in or about the positions indicated in Fig. 4.

The press follower e is made sufliciently deep to be longer than-eachsection'of the combined box so that in rising to compress the materialit may push the latter through one box and enter itself into the otherprior to the latter being automatically turned out of the way as will behereinafter described. Further, the follower being, as already stated,deeper than any section of the box the joints e1 never enter the boxcolisequently they can be made any size. For instance, if the box isfour feet by sixteen inches the size over the joints e1 can be five feetby two feet, if necessary, to get a suitable oint, a construction notpossible in any other toggle press. The part e of the follower thattravels into the box must of necessity be smaller than the box, and thishas prevented the toggle lever presses being used for making the Indiansize bales owing to there being not sufficient room in the box for theworking parts. In the present press the working parts do not go into thebox. To guide the follower for the early part of its lift I provide inits sides grooves t or secure to its sides strips to form a groove andto the base of the press I secure upstanding brackets t2, the upper endsof which support antifriction bowls t3 to engage with the grooves in thefollower. The latter is thereby kept in a truly horizontal positionwhile passing through the first box. The bowls also act as a stop tolimit the downward movement of the follower after pressing.

In order to automatically disengage the catch levers p and to turn eachbox away from the press as the follower rises through each el' them Iconnect the rear end o'll the bottom lever p in each box to the rear endo'll a lever u pivoted at 'al to a bracket supported from the sleeve othe other end ol such lever being coupled to a pin a2 passing through avertical hole in the sleeve and projecting a little beyond it. And, onthe l'ollower ol the press I secure brackets i; supporting` a shal't orstuds on which is mounted rollers or bowls el. As the press 'l'ollowerrises one olI these rollers comes into contact with the pin u2 therebylil'ting it and. in turn causing the lever it to o erate the bottomcatch lever p and through t ie connecting rod q the upper catch lever pas well thereby disengaging the catches and allowing the hinged side andend to open. Immediately after this action the roller c1 comes intocontact with a projecting inclined plane forming part ol' the sleeve 0and as a result the latter and with it the box is turned away from thepress. It will be observed however that the press l'ollower is o'l` sucha length that prior to the two actions taking place its upper end hasl'orced the material into the second box o'l'l the series and as itpasses further upward into the third or lollowing box the same actionsoccur until 'finally the whole of the material is Vl'orced into thepress chamber' 'w which is pivoted to the upper' end oi' the presscolumns and about which it can be turned as in my previous patent. Thebale is held between the press head and :l'ollower while being lashed,but it is necessary to have the bale chamber doors open to get the hoopsround the bale. The latter is secured by a bale covering and bale tiesor hoops or by the latter alone as will be well understood. Thecompressed bale can then be removed a'lter the press follower descendsto compress the next lot ol' material in the second range ol' boxeswhich have meantime been filled.

rlhe mechanism for operating the press boxes in the manner describedmay, of course, be applied in connection with presses having only onebox or one box on each of the four press columns.

What l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. A toggle lever baling press having a plurality of press boxesarranged one above the other, sleeves on the press column supporting theboxes, and pivotcd tumbler catches t'or holding the separated boxestogether during the pressing operation.

2. In toggle lever presses of the type referred to press boxes eachprovided with a hinged side and end, projections on the hinged side, apair or more of pivoted catch levers on the end of the box adapted toengage with the projections, a rod coupling the rear ends oi the catchlevers together, a seeond lever pivoted to thesleeve carrying the boxengaging at one end with one of the pivotod catch levers and coupled atthe other to a pin passing through. a hole in the supporting sleeve anda roller carried by the press follower' adapted to come in contact withthe pin so as to operate it and the arrangement of levers and so releasethe catches lrom the projections substantially as described.

3. In a toggle lever baling press, the combination with a plurality oipress boxes, ol means for supporting the boxes in the path of travel ollthe press follower, means lor moving each Apress box clear ol" the presslollower consisting of a projecting inclined plane on each box support,means lor releasing the boxes, and means on the press follower acting onthe inclined planes for moving the box support.

4. In a toggle lever press of the type relerred to the means lorcontrolling the opening and closing ol the bottom press box consistingof a bottom of an inclined character arranged in slideways in the box, alever pivoted by one end to the box bottom, slotted brackets with whichthe upper end oi the lever engages and a lever pivoted to the box and tothe [list-named lever l'or operating the parts substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination in a baling press, a press column, a press follower,sleeves rotatable on the press column and having projecting inclinedplanes, means lor connecting the press boxes to the sleeves to takemotion therefrom, and means on the press lollower adapted to actuate thebox releasing mechanism and engage the inclined planes to rotate thesleeves.

6. In a toggle lever press, press columns, a follower, counter-balancelevers and rods at the exterior of the 4press columns, levers foroperating the lollower and means l'or connecting the counter balancelevers and rods and means actuated by the lollower l'or moving thecounter-balance levers and rods.

7. In a toggle lever baling press, press boxes having upper and lowercompartments, a follower adapted to enter an upper compartment ol thcpress box prior to opening and releasing the lower compartment ol saidbox, means l'or holding the compartments of the box in operativerelation, and means for releasing said holding `means and simultaneouslyrotating the released compartment.

In testimony wher-col I have hereunto set my hand in. the presence ol"two witnesses.

IIUGII IORVVE'RTI-I ROBERTS. lhitnesses:

IVM. Pinnen,

IVM. E. MeMULLnN.

